Writing and Consciousness MFA Program

The MFA in Writing and Consciousness is part of the Department of Writing, Consciousness and Creative Inquiry. We welcome writers and artists who are ready to do the following:

Enhance their art, craft, and knowledge of both literature and consciousness, while taking their writing to a deeper level

Acquire professional skills such as teaching, grantwriting, editing, publishing and freelance writing

Develop experimental, multigenre, and/or multimedia projects OR

Work primarily within a single genre, whether fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction, staying open to developing their art and craft through the exploration of other genres

Discover new frameworks and meanings for their work as they claim their own literary lineages

Tuition and Enrollment

This full time, 48-unit program is completed in two years. We admit students in the fall semester only. Please visit the Financial Aid Department's tuition page for updated program costs per unit. To find out more about scholarships for MFA students, contact Pauline Reif, the program's Admissions Counselor at 415-575-6155 or preif@ciis.edu. The MFA program also offers a limited number of teaching and research assistantships to students during their second year. To find out more, contact MFA program coordinator,  Theresa Newman at 415-575-6264 or tnewman@ciis.edu

Intensive Weekend Format and Schedule

Our MFA programs meet on an intensive weekend schedule, and students are in residence six times a semester-in general, Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Some students will have elective courses that meet Friday evenings (usually 6:15 to 9:15 p.m.).

Students complete 75% of coursework during weekend residencies and the other 25% through online conferences (via Caucus) and/or individual meetings with advisors/mentors. For more information, see below. Hybrid and online electives will be available for some courses.

Academic Calendar Years 2013–2014 and 2014-2015

Fall 2013	Spring 2014
August 23, 24, 25	January 24, 25, 26
September 6, 7, 8	February 7, 8, 9
September 20, 21, 22	February 21, 22, 23
October 11, 12, 13	March 14, 15, 16
November 8, 9, 10	April 4, 5, 6
December 6, 7, 8	April 25, 26, 27
Fall 2014	Spring 2015
August 22, 23, 24	January 23, 24, 25
September 5, 6, 7	February 6, 7, 8
September 19, 20, 21	February 20, 21, 22
October 10, 11, 12	March 13, 14, 15
November 7, 8, 9	April 3, 4, 5
December 5, 6, 7	April 24, 25, 26

Hours: Friday 5:30–9:30 pm, Saturday 9 am–8 pm, Sunday 9 am–6 pm

Saturday Nights @ CIIS

On Saturday evenings, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., students attend "Saturday Night @ CIIS," a guest artist series open to the entire community. These lively Saturday night events include panel discussions on sustaining a life as an artist, salon talks on artistic collaborations, and readings and performances by local and visiting guest artists, MFA alumni/ae, and MFA faculty. Students experience the diverse range of professional artists in the Bay area and beyond, and learn firsthand how these artists live and work. See our faculty page for our Saturday Night Presenters.

Supplemental Online Work

Before the first weekend and between weekend meetings, students participate in Caucus, the online conference used at CIIS, Online activities may include: reading and responding to other students' writings or artwork, preparing critical reflections as a follow up to weekend experience, participating in small group conversations or preparing for group projects, or responding to discussion items posted by instructors.

Working with Mentors and Faculty Advisors

Every semester, students meet with mentors (visiting or CIIS faculty). These meetings will be in person, via phone call, and/or via Caucus. In the first year, Writing and Consciousness students have individual meetings with workshop leaders and Creative Inquiry, Interdisciplinary Arts faculty oversee the work that students do with outside mentors. These guest artist mentors document their work with students by preparing a narrative assessment at the end of the semester. During the second year, all MFA students have a WCC faculty advisor for their MFA project and an outside mentor/advisor. Students work with the same faculty advisor and mentor/advisor for both terms.